


Delivered Unto Me

by GabrielLives



Series: Tumblr gifts [9]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Canon Compliant, First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Rifts - Freeform, Sabriel Secret Santa 2019 (Supernatural), Winter, a touch of angst, after the return from the alternate universe, dean and castiel are mentioned, season 13, they dont play a huge part
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:55:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21874030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GabrielLives/pseuds/GabrielLives
Summary: After the return from the alternate universe, Sam isn't handling his emotions well. But after a walk in the woods surrounding the bunker, a miracle happens.
Relationships: Gabriel/Sam Winchester
Series: Tumblr gifts [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/871299
Comments: 10
Kudos: 71





	Delivered Unto Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [miranda99956](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miranda99956/gifts).



> ahhhh I can finally post my secret santa fic!! This is dedicated to @mir567 on tumblr!! i hope she enjoys it, and you too!

In the cold Kansas winter, Sam Winchester liked to walk the woods alone. He followed the familiar paths through the trees, snow crunching under his boots and the falling snow settling in his hair. 

He needed this sometimes. An escape from the noise in his home and responsibilities of being a hunter, even if it was just for a short time. The bunker had become so full since they came back from the apocalypse universe. The new hunters were good people, and Sam was so grateful that they could save so many from that terrible place and provide them with a fresh start. 

But the losses, those weighed heavily in Sam’s mind. 

From that first night they returned, with the refugee’s liquor filled glasses raised in celebration at their rescue, the death of Gabriel filled Sam with nothing but regret and ache. 

It would have been so easy to simply grab the reckless archangel as he turned to face Michael and just pull him back through the rift as it was slipping shut. But Sam was frozen on the spot, Gabriel just out of reach as Dean knocked some sense in him and pushed him back into their own universe. 

Gabriel’s voice yelling at them to  _ go _ haunted him. Sam could hear it echoing off the cold walls of the bunker, his mind running wild at the thought that Gabriel was back before he realized that any whispered words he heard were only conversations between the other hunters. 

Sometimes it just became too much. 

There was a small clearing in the woods that Sam like to stop at and use to rest. A large tree had fallen over in a storm at some point over the summer, the scorch lines from the lightning obvious on both halves of the fallen trunk, and it provided a perfect place for Sam to think and just let go of all the worries and tension that tended to attach itself in your psyche when you lived a life like this.

With his hands stuffed deep in his pockets, Sam sighed heavily as he sat, eyes drifting to the cloud covered gray sky. The quiet of nature surrounded him, and Sam took it all in. The sounds of winter birds chirping in the distance mixed with the smell of pine trees could always calm the hunter like nothing else could. 

But under the trilling of the birds, Sam heard a wholly unnatural sound. A high pitched ringing caught his attention, slowly building and echoing in the cold air. Sam stood, his hunter training immediately taking over as he scanned the area for the source of the ominous noise.

A flash of light burst out in the clearing, sending Sam falling to the ground with his hands over his face in protection. As the initial blast of light became bearable, Sam lowered his arms and gasped at the sight that greeted him.

In the center of the clearing, hovering a few feet above the ground, was a rift. 

Shakily, Sam got to his feet, unable and unwilling to take his eyes off the sight in front of him. Questions flew threw Sam’s mind a mile a minute as the rift pulsed and undulated wildly. But the loudest one was who the hell would do this. He and Dean and their allies had no reason to open a rift again, so the situation Sam found himself in could only be malicious in intent. 

_ Great, _ Sam thought,  _ another big bad to fight. _ Exactly the last thing the Winchesters needed. 

The demon killing knife found its way to Sam’s hand, raised in defense against whatever came rushing out of whatever universe this rift lead too. His other hand grasped for his phone, and Sam hoped he could get a message to Dean in time. But before he could even reach into his pocket, the rift stuttered and flashed, fluctuating wildly as Sam clutched his knife tighter in his fist, ready for whatever jumped out at him. 

Instead of monsters or demons or angels, only one body came through the rift. And rather than Sam being attacked, the body limply fell to the ground, landing heavy with its back to Sam and not moving at all. The rift crackled for a few more seconds, then with a sharp sound, curled around itself and slammed closed. 

Silence fell over the clearing. Sam shifted nervously on his feet, still eyeing the man’s body on the ground. With a few breaths to steel himself, Sam reluctantly put the demon knife back in its sheath. He was pretty sure that whoever fell out of the rift was probably not a threat at the moment. 

Slowly, Sam made his way over. Step by step, he watched for any sign of movement other than the shallow rise and fall of the man’s chest. When he was in arms reach, Sam crouched down next to the body, and with slightly shaking fingers reached out to grab the man’s arm and pull him over onto his back.

“Holy shit,” Sam murmured as he looked at the pained face of the unconscious man on the ground. “Gabriel."

~~

A few hours later and Sam still had no answers to what the hell was happening. Bursting into the bunker with an unconscious Gabriel in his arms had caused a mad panic, and Sam was grateful for Castiel clearing people away and guiding Sam to an empty room, despite the angel’s own distressed look at seeing his brother seemingly returned from the dead. 

Dean had followed close behind, one of the more comprehensive first aid kits in his hands and calling out for towels and water to be brought to the room. 

As Sam carefully lay Gabriel on the bed, Cas came up from the other side, placing his palm over his brother’s forehead and letting the light of his grace wash over Gabriel’s prone form. But either Cas was too weak or something was preventing Gabriel from accepting the grace and healing his body. Castiel had deflated, his normally stoic features falling into heartache as he realized he could do nothing to help.

Sam took over after that, carefully removing Gabriel’s leather jacket and Henley to reveal the festering wound left by Michael’s archangel blade. Pushing down the violent urge to vomit, Sam began the onerous job of cleaning and suturing up Gabriel’s injuries. 

And now, with the horrible job done and Gabriel bandaged up and his ragged shallow breathing the only sound in the room, Sam was struggling to hold himself together. 

Gabriel was here. And alive. How was that even possible? The thought that they had left Gabriel in that awful universe and he wasn't dead? Guilt was tearing Sam apart. 

He sat next to the bed, the desk chair rolled over so that Sam could watch over Gabriel more closely. 

“I’m so sorry, Gabriel,” Sam whispered, fingertips resting just close enough to brush against the angel’s skin. “If I would've known…” Pulling back to rub his hands over his eyes, Sam sniffled a bit, sighing as he sat back heavily in his chair. “We never should have left you there. I-I should've tried harder to stop you.” Sam paused, gaze falling on Gabriel’s calm face as he continued. “But that’s just you, isn't it? Always willing to put yourself in the line of fire. For what? Every time it ends the same. You end up dead.” Sam huffed a bitter laugh. “One day it’s gonna stick.”

A weighted quiet fell back over the room, and Sam sat by the bed, waiting for any indication that Gabriel was going to wake up. Dean came by a few times to check up on him and pester him to eat something, and then again to tell Sam to get some sleep. But each time Sam said he was fine. He was just going to wait a little while longer. Besides, late nights weren't a problem for a Winchester. 

Eventually, Sam could feel sleep creeping up on him though. He was shifting in his chair, deciding if he should head back to his own room when suddenly Gabriel was shooting up in bed, eyes wide and frightened, yelling nonsense and scrambling back towards the headboard.

"Whoa!!" Sam shouted as his surprise faded. "Hey! Hey, cool it, Gabriel!" He was out of his chair in an instant, hands up to show he wasn't a danger to Gabriel. "It's me. It's Sam. You're safe here."

“...S-Sam?” Still shaking against the far end of the bed, Gabriel’s voice was small and hesitant as his frantic eyes scanned the room. “Where...where the hell am I?”

“You're back at the bunker,” Sam said as he slowly sat on the edge of the bed. 

“What?” The tremors didn't subside as Gabriel wrapped his arms around himself. “How the hell did I get here?”

“Well, I’m not really sure. I was hoping that you could tell me what happened.” Sam tentatively offered a hand out to the terrified being in front of him. “Do you remember anything?”

Gabriel eyed the outstretched hand skeptically, but after a few unsure moments, he reached out with trembling fingers and tightly grasped the comfort being offered to him. “Um,” he started, “the last thing I remember was M-Michael, and then-” His free hand pressed to his chest, and Gabriel glanced down when he felt the exposed skin and thick bandages where the archangel blade had left its damage. “I thought I was dead,” Gabriel whispered, a stray tear snaking its way down his cheek.

“Hey,” Sam said quietly, squeezing Gabriel’s hand a little tighter, “it’s ok. All that matters is that you're back. We’ll figure out the rest later.” He offered Gabriel a small smile, a flutter of hope settling in his chest when Gabriel shyly returned it.

~~

It quickly became apparent that whatever had happened with Gabriel being returned to them, had affected his already lowered grace. After being forced to spend a few days recovering in bed because he couldn't heal himself, Gabriel’s attempts at snapping up things had also proved fruitless. When Sam would head to Gabriel’s room to clean and change his bandages, the hunter’s heart would break a little more at the sound of frustrated snapping and Gabriel’s not so silent crying.

Sam was pleased as he watched Gabriel’s physical wounds heal, but the mental scars he suffered from never seemed to lighten. The now mostly human Gabriel would rarely speak, tending to spend as much time in his room as he could. 

There was one place he thrived though, and that was in nature. 

And when Sam found Gabriel's room empty as he walked by, he knew where to find the ex-angel. 

Sam came up to the clearing in the woods, the same one where the rift dumped Gabriel back into Sam’s life, and found him sitting on the fallen log, his golden eyes closed and soaking in the sounds and feelings of creation. As Sam quietly took a seat next to him, he wondered how much of this Gabriel had had a hand in creating, side by side with his brothers and father. And now, he could barely conjure up a glass of water. 

It all wasn't fair.

“What was that, kiddo?” 

“Oh,” Sam stuttered, “did I say that out loud?”

“You did,” Gabriel chuckled, and Sam felt a ping of  _ something  _ when those golden eyes fell on him.

“Sorry.” 

“Don't be, Sammy,” Gabriel said as he settled closer to the hunter. “If anything, it’s me who should be apologizing to you.”

“How do you figure?” Sam asked, disbelief creeping up in his voice.

Gabriel sighed, and Sam hated how tired he sounded. “It’s just…” In his lap, Gabriel wrung his hands together, “I've only been a burden to you. And before you even try to tell me it’s not true, because I know that’s what you're gonna say, don't do that.” 

Sam’s mouth clicked shut, the response to Gabriel’s statement dying on his tongue. 

“Ever since- When Ketch brought me back, it’s been you, hasn't it?” Gabriel asked sadly. “You spent all your time taking care of me, and all I did was bail on you. More than once. And now...something brought me back here again, and there’s no way for me to repay you for helping me.”

“Gabriel, you don't have to repay me for anything. It was the right thing to do, that’s why I did it.” 

“No one else seemed to think it was what I deserved, kiddo.” 

“Of course you did, Gabriel. You  _ do  _ deserve it.” Without thinking, Sam reached the short distance between the two of them and grabbed Gabriel’s hand, not liking the minute shivers that he felt. “Whatever brought you back here, I’m glad it did. And no matter how many times it happens, no matter how many times you manage to find yourself in trouble, I’ll be here to patch you up again.”

Gabriel could only stare up at the hunter, dumbfounded at what was being said to him. “...Why?” he whispered. “Why would you help me? After all I’ve done to you in the past, you should want me as far away from you and your brother as possible.”

“Probably,” Sam said, not missing the look of hurt that flashed across Gabriel’s face, “but,” he said as he soothed his thumb over the cool skin of Gabriel’s hand, “after all this time, all I want is for you to be happy.” 

Gabriel slumped forward a little, unable to look up at Sam but clutching at the hand in his a little tighter. “What if...” he said, so quiet Sam almost couldn't hear him, “what if what makes me happy,” those golden eyes fell on Sam again, shimmering with unshed tears, “is being with you?”

“Well then,” Sam said as a bright smile spread across his face, “I’d say that’s perfect.”

Sam leaned forward, hovering close and enjoying the look of pure shock on Gabriel’s face before he closed the space between them, and placed a gentle kiss on Gabriel’s lips. There was a moment where Sam thought Gabriel was going to pull back, the surprise of his boldness throwing for a loop. But soon Gabriel melted into the kiss, his free hand snaking its way up Sam’s sleeve to cup his stubbled jaw as he tried to deepen their kiss.

“Ahh! Jeez, Gabriel!” Sam laughed as he suddenly jerked back. “Your hand is freezing!” He took Gabriel’s smaller hands in his, rubbing them in his own as he tried to heat them up. “Let’s get you back in the bunker and make some hot chocolate or something. You need to warm up.”

Gabriel let himself be pulled out of the clearing and along the trail back to the bunker, Sam’s arm draped over his shoulder making him feel warm despite the winter weather. He tripped over a branch lying on the path, and as Sam caught and steadied him before he fell, Gabriel was snapped out of his kiss induced shock.

“What the hell, Sam?” he yelled, still under the protection of Sam’s arm. 

Sam only answered him with a smile of pure joy, pulling Gabriel closer and landing another kiss on his forehead. It was enough to stop Gabriel’s questions, at least until after some hot chocolate. 


End file.
